What’s new at Six Flags Great America in 2023 (rides no; food and drinks, yes)

Visitors to Six Flags Great America will see improvements in comfort and fan experience at the Gurnee amusement park when it opens for the 2023 season Saturday, officials said.

But, for the fourth straight year, there won’t be any new roller coaster rides.

There are, however, new food and drink options, like a beer garden in the Southwest Territory area, and 90 new park benches and refreshed landscaping throughout the park.

The last roller coaster debut was Maxx Force in July 2019, which officials touted as having the fastest launch time -- zero to 78 mph in under 2 seconds -- of any coaster in North America.

So far, no plans have been announced to add a new ride or other significant attraction to the park in 2024, officials said.

“We are always considering how to provide an elevated guest experience year over year,” said spokeswoman Rachel Kendziora. “We are always looking at potential new additions to the park and how/when they may best fit.”

The theme park was closed throughout 2020 due to health concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the theme park does not share attendance figures, industry analysts and village data suggest the park got back on track in 2021 and 2022.

The most recent figure published by an industry analyst group was from the 2021 AECOM Theme Index report, which estimated Six Flags Great America had 2,675,000 visitors in 2021 -- 19th place among North American theme parks.

Based on data provided by the village of Gurnee, the 2021 and 2022 seasons were close to pre-pandemic levels.

The village collects a 4% amusement tax on each admission ticket, season pass or membership sold to the park. In 2018, the village board approved a plan to cap the amusement tax revenue the village receives from the park at $2.8 million and give any taxes collected above that threshold back to Great America.

We are always considering how to provide an elevated guest experience year over year.

—  Six Flags Great America spokeswoman Rachel Kendziora

Under the plan, the cap increases by 2% each year of the seven-year agreement, or until the village returns a total of $4 million to Great America, whichever comes first.

The village has given the park around $387,000 total in 2018, 2019 and 2021. Gurnee finance director Brian C. Gosnell said Thursday the village anticipates issuing $120,000 to the park as a result of the revenue it brought in during the 2022 season.

The park will be open primarily for weekends only until May 23, when daily admission will begin and will run through the summer.

Park officials also announced new special events and festivals. On select days in June and July there will be an expanded food menu as part of an event called “Flavors of the World,” and on select days in August the park will host Viva La Fiesta, which will include food and entertainment.

The most recent new attraction at Hurricane Harbor water park next door was when Tsunami Surge, an 86-foot-tall water coaster dubbed the tallest of its kind in the world, opened in 2021.

Last year, the section of the park once known as Yankee Harbor -- decorated in the style of coastal New England upon the park’s creation in 1976 -- got a superhero makeover and called DC Universe. Three existing rides were adapted to the new theme. U-shaped roller coaster Vertical Velocity is now The Flash: Vertical Velocity, water ride Yankee Clipper is now Aquaman Splashdown, and spinning swing ride Whirligig is now the DC Super-Villains Swing.

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